Bespin or Bust
by losttimelady
Summary: Another retelling of the Millennium Falcon's fateful trip to Bespin. I'm hoping to include some EU charecters and some things that will happen outside the confines of the 4 main protagonists of the piece, Han, Leia, Chewie and Threepio. This is likely to be an ongoing multichapter piece, but not too long! Please R&R Rating is for SW-universe coarse language if any
1. Commander

_Sometimes original ideas are hard to come by and sometimes there's a trick to be had in actually writing something original within the limits of something unoriginal, in the case a tale of the _Millennium Falcon_'s fateful journey to Bespin. _

_After reading epcotexpert's wonderful '40 days' I really wanted to have a crack at it myself. (In all seriousness if you've not had a read of '40 days' go... now, then come back and read mine!). _

_I'd like to add that any copying or repetition from other works of this nature is purely accidental as I've only read '40 days' and I will be trying to do something different._

_Normal disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any other George Lucas IP but I do have my very own set of the Han Solo trilogy in paperback. _

Bespin or Bust

by LostTimeLady

Chapter 1: Commander

"Now what?" Leia's voice broke the silence that had consumed the _Falcon_.

"Well, if we stand any hope of making it to Bespin at all we need to get the hyperdrive partially fixed."

"Partially fixed?" Leia said, mouth hanging open.

"Well unless you want our great-grand kids to be the one's who'll rejoin the fleet we need something."

Chewie growled a quick response and Han gave a shrug,

"If we hot wire in some of the other systems we could probably manage one straight hop to Bespin, might take a while though."

"Probably... A while?" Leia sounded sceptical. The hair's on the back of Han's neck bristled, _now is not the time for a fight Leia_.

"Well, at maximum sublight speed while we fix things up, let's say, give that a week, then slow lightspeed... a couple of weeks total." Han said, trying to make the whole thing sound perfectly reasonable when he was seething inside really as well.

"Weeks?" Leia exclaimed, "Han, we need to rendezvous with the fleet in a couple of days! What about Luke and everyone else?"

"Look sweetheart, We'll get things properly fixed up at Bespin then I'll drop you back at the fleet then..." Han cut himself off, he knew what happened after that and he didn't like it.

Leia sighed, "Ok, captain, what do we do first?"

"Well, first, let's check in with the fleet, they'll be wondering where in the galaxy you've got to."

Leia gave a nod and went back to the central seating area and the main comms station to send a message. She noted but hadn't said anything when Han had said _ you've got to _not _we've got to. _But she was trying not to think about that.

Setting up an encryption channel as best as she could she plugged in one of the command ship's codes and waited for a response. The static cleared and Leia spoke,

"_Millennium Falcon_ calling General Rieekan, come in Echo Command?"

"Rieekan to _Falcon_, Leia, what happened?" The Alderaanian sounded tired and short tempered, normal then.

"We were chased by Imperials into the Anoat system, our hyperdrive is broken so we're heading to make repairs at Bespin."

"No hyperdrive?" Rieekan sounded sceptical, "Maybe we should send you back a transport large enough to hold the _Falcon._"

"That could be dangerous General but we'll be ok, we're attempting repairs." Leia said.

"Alright, if you really need evac. contact me but we'll be maintaining radio silence otherwise, intelligence says that slicers are eating Rebellion codes for breakfast."

"Ok." Leia said, "Have you heard from Commander Skywalker?"

"A short message, he got out ok, but he's got a mission of his own for a while." Rieekan said cryptically and Leia made a mental note to ask Luke sometime about it.

"What's your ETA to Bespin?" Rieekan asked between static.

"A few weeks if we can get some sort of hyperdrive working."

"If you're not back in a month Leia there's not much we can do, there's only so long we can stay where we are."

Leia took a deep breath, "We'll find you if need's be, _Falcon _out."

"Take care Princess, may the Force be with you, Rieekan out." Leia sat back in the chair and mulled over the exchange. They'd be lost and chasing a rumour if they didn't get to the fleet. _May the Force be with us all_, Leia mused before standing and returning to the cockpit.

"All sorted?" Han asked as Leia sat back down.

"They know we're safe for now." Leia muttered.

"Good, any word on Luke?" Han asked leaning back in his chair to look at her.

"Yeah, he's safe, I think, but he's gone off on some sort of mission. Know anything about it?" Han gave a confused look.

"Don't think so." Han shook his head.

The silence crept back in again as Chewbacca left the cockpit murmuring something about getting started on the repairs. For minutes the silence was only interrupted by the clicking of buttons and switches as Han slowly, painstakingly set the Falcon on an autopilot course through and out of the remaining area of the Anoat system.

"It was a really brave thing you did, going out to look for Luke like that." Leia said finally.

"Brave? Sweetheart, brave is what earns you second class stripes," Han tapped the yellow stripe on his trousers with a gloved hand, "What I did usually earns you first class stripes, posthumously."

"Why don't you wear your first class stripes anymore?" Leia asked curiously. Han gave an eloquent shrug.

"Cos those trousers wore out and I'm pathetic at sewing." Han said.

"I don't believe that, what's the real reason flyboy?" Leia pressed and Han gave a sigh.

"Cos I earned them doing a far less noble thing than I did to get my second class bloodstipe."

"Well there's not much that's more noble than saving a Wookiee's life." Leia admitted.

"Err, yeah." Han stuttered, _I guess Chewie told her that one_, "Princess, keep watch for a while, I'm going to check what spares we have in the hold to patch her up."

"I thought you'd stopped calling me that?" Leia called back as Han left.

"Old habits, like old smugglers, die hard sweetheart." He said, before flashing Leia a grin and leaving.

_If smiles could kill_... Leia thought as she slipped into the pilots chair and gazed silently at the stars.

* * *

_Well that's chapter 1 done. Believe me I'm not about to do a chapter per day they're travelling, not least because I want to keep things flexible. It's a well known plot hole that how in the galaxy could the _Falcon_ have travelled over to a whole other star system in a month (the cannon suggested length of the trip) on sublights (even if they were going at light speed) so that is something I wanted to do differently (setting aside for a moment the casual hop from Hoth to Anoat that they managed in the film, ok). _

_Next chapter, an angry Solo and a frightening foe. (Chapter 2 should be up quite soon)._

_As always, comments and critique is welcomed gladly. Thanks for reading! _


	2. The Evil One

_And so the journey continues..._

_Thank you to all those who read chapter 1 and liked it, it really encourages me when people enjoy what I write._

_Usual disclaimer, I don't own the rights to _Star Wars_ just all 6 films on DVD or VHS._

Chapter 2: The Evil One

Blast it, blast it, blast it! Han kicked over a crate in frustration then, realising its contents, hastily picked it up again.

" Minions of Xendor!" Han exclaimed checking over the crate, satisfied that it was ok he proceeded to pace around the hold.

_Of all the rotten, mynock bitten luck!_ Han thought before collapsing on to the floor to sit cross legged, pounding the metal with his fist, muttering every profanity he knew in Basic, Huttese, Trader's Argot and a few others he wasn't even sure where they'd originated from.

How was he going to get out of this one? How had his luck failed him right when he needed it most and why was he going to be stuck for the next few days, maybe weeks, in a damaged tin can of a space ship and...

"I didn't mean that baby, you're beautiful. Just, do me a favour, don't break any more than you already have done, ok?" Han said aloud standing up.

He'd been there for over an hour wondering what in all of Corellia he was going to do. Fixing a hyperdrive was easy enough, if you had a workshop full of tools and spares. The whole situation they were in felt a little bit too much like the thirteenth mission to Corellia's third moon, limited tools, limited supplies, and time running out.

"Alright Solo, get a hold of yourself, nothing was ever accomplished by getting mad." Han told himself sternly before heading off to give the hyperdrive a good and thorough once over.

Leia heard the bangs and crashes coming from the aft hold but decided better of seeking out the _Falcon_'s captain, at least not for a while. She'd reactivated Threepio and left him to keep watch for other ships and the like although it was doubtful that anyone was following them; most ships had a hard time catching the _Millennium Falcon_ at full tilt. The _Falcon _was fast, but not fast enough for her tastes right now, they'd starve before they'd reach Bespin if they couldn't make even the shortest hyperspace jump.

"Come on, I was expecting you to stay positive!" Han retorted to Chewbacca who had come to see how Han was doing with the hyperdrive. He too had heard his friend's angry exclamations earlier.

Chewbacca growled back a sharp retort, yes he _could_ be positive but right now someone needed to be a realist.

"Realistic? Leave that to the Princ- I mean to Leia. I'll be the pessimist, you be the optimist, she can be the realist and Threepio can declare that we're doomed!"

Chewie gave a string of howls and snarls, when did _Han_ stop being the optimist?

"Chewie we've been in some tight spots like this before, but..." Han lowered his voice, "I'm worried about the Princess."

Chewie gave a coughing chuckle, _about_ or _for?_

"What's the difference?" Han said before stalking off back to the cockpit. _What's the difference, Solo? You know exactly what the difference is._

Aboard his Superstar Destroyer, the _Executor_, Dath Vader stood looking at the stars, brooding. The low ranking Ensign who had been sent to deliver a message to him stood at the entrance way to the viewing deck, trying to resist the urge to be violently sick from nerves.

"If you have a message for me, Ensign," Vader said without turning, "I suggest you deliver it." The young officer swallowed hard, he was _sure_ he hadn't even made a sound.

"Yes, m' lord..." He stammered, "A transmission was received on an encrypted channel, the first layer of encryption was easily broken and gave the message 'for Vader's eyes only, a gift, Fett.'"

"Have the rest of the transmission routed to my private quarters." Vader turned and although it was hard to tell, the Ensign was sure the Vader was deliberately staring at him. The meek officer gave a sharp formal bow and salute before about turning.

"And Ensign," Vader said, almost casually to his back making him turn, "tell you commanding officer that if he believes a message for me to be bad news, he should bring it to me himself."

The officer bowed a second time with a quivering "M' Lord!" And marched off quickly, trying very hard not to break into a run.

It was easy enough to break the final layers of encryption. Vader himself had given out those very codes to the bounty hunter in his employ. Finally he managed to play back the recording, it was filled with the hisses and crackles of an intercepted long distance transmission but it was clear enough. An exchange between two Alderaanians, one voice in particular he instantly recognised.

"'-sion of his own for a while. What's - ETA to Bespin?'

'A few weeks if we can - sort of hyperdrive working.'

'If you're not - in a month - much we can do, there's only so long - where we are.'

'We'll find you -ed's be, _Falcon _out.'

'Take care Princess, may - be with you, Rieekan out.'"

_So_, Vader mused, _they're stopping at Bespin_. Vader quickly tapped out a transponder code and within moments the large view screen in front of him resolved into the mask of the Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Boba Fett.

"Lord Vader." Fett said simply, with a nod.

"Good work Bounty Hunter," Vader said formally, "You will be rewarded for your swiftness and dedication."

"There is a bounty on the head of Captain Solo from Jabba the Hutt, it is more sizable than the bounty you have offered however I am willing to negotiate price."

"You consider the intercepted transmission a token of good will?" Vader asked.

"Yes." Fell breathed. _Cunning_, Vader thought, _but not too cunning_.

"My desire for the _Millennium Falcon_ is so I may discover the location of another, after that the crew are of no use to me, you may take Captain Solo to Jabba the Hutt afterwards."

"I expect you then to personally deliver Solo into my hands."

"Track the _Falcon_'s movements and attempt to arrive ahead of them, I shall meet you there."

"Han Solo was once friends with the current administrator of Cloud City, he will most likely attempt to land there."

"My thanks bounty hunter, you have served the Empire well and will be rewarded." Vader cut the transmission and sat back into his chair, lost in thought.

In the cockpit of his ship _Slave I_, Boba Fett considered his options. He needed to reach Bespin before Solo and his crew did but he also needed to avoid Lando Calrissian. He and Calrissian had a history that went back just as long as his history with that son of a star dragon Han Solo. However Fett considered himself a practical man and not one to hold grudges in the face of work to do. He nodded to himself about what was needed next. A short detour via one of the less respectable planets in the area to acquire some false IDs for himself and his ship might be in order, then on to Bespin.

* * *

_Next chapter will focus a bit more on the crew of the _Falcon_ but I liked the idea of jumping away from that for a bit to add some flavour of what was going on in the wider galaxy. Thank you for reading, comments and critique are equally welcomed!_


	3. Endurance

_Perhaps now it's time for something a bit lighter? Thank you to everyone who has read the previous two chapters especially those who have put this story on alerts or favourites. _

_Also, to those who have read the recent chapters of '40 days' there is some thematic overlap. I promise it's not copying on my part, I wrote this and the following chapter a few days ago, but coincidence has lead me to speak to epcotexpert before I posted this to check that it's fine. Great minds think alike, right?_

_As always I don't own the _Star Wars_ IP, but I do own a rather beaten up copy of _Truce at Bakura_, my favourite EU novel (I've lost count of how many times I've read that story!)_

Chapter 3: Endurance

"As I said to Captain Solo, this ship has the strangest dialect! Where in the galaxy did it learn to communicate?" Threepio fussed, looking decidedly unhappy that he was physically wired up to the falcon.

**_Who knows? It's had a number of droids working on it over the years, including a rather curious one called Vuffi Raa_**. Chewbacca explained as he tinkered away at the diagnostics panel on the rear deflectors.

"I swear this machine is practically schizoid, she keeps contradicting and correcting herself."

Chewbacca gave a low chuckle, it was always amusing watching Threepio in a flap.

"Well I'll be no help to you or Captain Solo if I can't make head or tail of what I'm being told." Threepio said defiantly, ignoring Chewbacca's laughing, "She keeps babbling away about filtration failure but I've told her that doesn't matter because we want to fix the hyperdrive."

_**Filtration failure?**_ Chewbacca asked tilting his head to one side.

"Yes, something to do with the water recycler..." Threepio said, suddenly Chewbacca sprang up and dashed off to another part of the ship.

"Was it something I said? Sometimes I just don't understand sentients..." Suddenly a jolt of feedback shot from the _Falcon_ through to Threepio making him jump, "Oh and you know better do you?" Threepio said, banging the side of the console with his fist.

"Well, how much water do we have?" Leia asked, arms crossed over her chest, looking stern. From that angle a rare thing occurred, she actually towered over Han who was working at floor level.

"We've got enough drinking water to last a month even if we didn't fix things..." Han drew a breath, "But that's not the problem, the problem is that system that recycles domestic waters also deals with the coolant system for the sublights." Han explained.

"Who's bright idea was that?" Leia exclaimed and Han cringed. Chewbacca gave a low growl and then a soft chuckling laugh, _you better tell her, Han. _

"At the time, mine," Leia opened her mouth but Han cut her off, "When I upgraded the sublights a few years back I needed extra cooling, it was easier to create a new feed through an old system than buy a who new filter system for the cooling." Han watched Leia's face fall, _now he was for it_.

"It's a good thing we caught it when we did!" He concluded, realising he was losing his cool out of relief whereas Leia was out of anger.

"So the sublights might overheat?" Leia asked.

"If we'd carried on full tilt, yes." Han said, Leia shot Han another shocked look of disbelief but this time said nothing.

"I'll go and slow us down so we're in the green again, but it'll add another few days onto this trip." Han said standing up from the mass of cabling at his feet.

"We're already looking at over a fortnight!" Leia said following Han down the corridor. Han turned on her and raised a warning finger.

"Do you think I like this any more than you do, sweetheart? We've got to make the best of a bad situation otherwise we're going to be stuck out here hoping for a passing frigate while we starve to death." Chewbacca gave a snarl that Leia didn't need a translation for but continued the argument anyway,

"Han I never said you liked it!" Leia cried, indignant,

"Well you sure are making out as if this is all my fault!" Han said before stalking away.

"Han!" Leia called after him but he didn't turn.

The next few days passed without incident especially when Leia was relieved to discover that they had the parts to fix the coolant system. Despite that Han insisted on flying the _Falcon _on a lower speed just in case. Leia had a basic mechanics training but felt more and more like she herself was a spare part with Han and Chewbacca worked tireless trying to fix the hyperdrive. She tried busying herself with menial tasks, the odd bit of soldering (which she was, at least, adept at) and keeping watch in the cockpit.

She had to admit there was something to be said about the joys of travelling by sublights. On the other hand she couldn't shake an acute feeling of being very small in a very large universe; that sort of feeling never really surfaced when travelling through hyperspace. She watched as the lazy figure of a blue-green gas giant, the fifth planet in the Anoat system, spun past them as they travelled out towards the solar system's edge. Stray ice and dust from the gas planet's five eccentrically arranged rings spattered against the _Falcon_'s hull with the faint sound of rain. But there was no atmosphere to bring forth anything so homely and worldly as rain clouds and drizzle.

Leia thought of all the planets she'd visited during her travels with the Rebellion, steaming hot rainforests like Yavin 4, desolate wastelands like Ord Mantell's junk yards and frozen vistas like Hoth. None of them quite seemed to compare to the lost beauty of her home planet, Alderaan. She'd mourned its passing a thousand times during the last few years, ever aware that another new thing would suddenly remind her of her lost home. Alas, at times it was not for the lost people or the planet even that she mourned for. It for those who were left, those like herself and Rieekan who now had no place to call home. Leia had always been able to make a home wherever she found herself. In another life that had always been in the knowledge that she had a home to return to. Now, her home was were her people, the Rebellion, were... and right now they were very far away.

However, Leia's main sense of loneliness came from the fact that Han, after their heated exchange days ago, had barely spoken a word to her. It was getting to the point where she couldn't bare it any more. In the end though, it was Han who broke through the silence not her.

Han found Leia sitting on the floor in the middle of the lounge area, up to her elbows in soapy water, while he was on his way to the cockpit to check on their course. Leia had found a few empty barrels in one of the holds and had decided to make use of it to clean some clothes since Han had disabled all but essential electrical systems while making repairs. That included the basic washing facilities onboard. Han was about to walk through as if he hadn't deliberately sort her out to see how she was when he saw her pluck from the soapy water... one of his shirts.

"Hay," he exclaimed, "You didn't need to do that." Leia gave a shrug.

"I'm not above getting my hands dirty, it's the least I could do."

"I don't mind wearing day old shirts you know." Han said, trying to be casual.

"I thought you didn't like looking scruffy." Leia joked and Han, despite himself laughed.

"I never did, but it became an occupational hazard when I left the navy."

"Tell me about it." Leia said and Han turned to leave, "No, I'm serious, actually _tell me about it_." Leia said and Han turned around.

"What do you want to know?" Han said, sitting on the sofa by the gaming table.

"Anything would do Han, we've know each other for a while now and I barely know anything _about_ you."

"There's not much to tell really." Han said casually.

"I don't believe that!" Leia said with a laugh, "Like this Lando character, who is he?"

"I told you, he's a-"

"Yeah a scoundrel like you, but that doesn't tell me anything about how you know him." Leia said and Han gave a defeated sigh.

"Ok, we were friends, once. He saved my life, sort of. But something happened, we both got duped and he blamed me."

"That doesn't sound fair." Leia observed and Han gave lopsided smile and a laugh.

"Nah it wasn't sister, but I lived with it, that wasn't the worst part of want happened anyway." Han said.

"Then what was?" Leia enquired as she wrung out another of Han's shirts and draped it onto the wire she had set up across the room as a makeshift washing line.

There was a pause and Leia looked over to Han who had a slightly glazed look in his eye.

"Han? What was?" Leia asked, Han suddenly snapped out of his daze and looked down at Leia.

"Ask me again, another time, sweetheart." He said as he knelt down next to her. Gently he took her hand in his and she drew back,

"Han, my hands are wet."

"So are mine, now." Han observed and Leia gave a smile.

"I guess so."

"You've gotta understand honey that the past is past for me, and I don't think about it. I want to think about the future." He said moving in closer to her.

"Like what?" Leia whispered as their eyes met.

"Like this." He said, before gently, tenderly pressing his lips against hers. They lingered there for a moment as if nothing else mattered before Han pulled slowly away.

"You won't ever tell me what brought that on, will you?" Leia asked as Han stood.

"No I won't." Han said before he left to make a course correction. As he headed down the corridor he stopped and touched him lips. He could still feel the tingle of her lips against his.

"She's got a lot of spirit that girl." Han murmured to himself, wondering if this was the start of him truly feeling about Leia how he'd felt about a girl who had tricked him long ago and lost him a friend.

Bria.

* * *

_Thank you once again for reading, comment and critique are both gladly received!_

_P.S. question of the day, have you read_ The Truce at Bakura_, what did you think and/or what's your favourite EU story?_


	4. Balance

_Onwards with the show..._

_A head's up over spoilers from the _Han Solo Trilogy, _you have been warned if it something you plan on reading sometime soon... (Well, if you've ever read Wookieepidia you basically have the entire EU spoiled for you so maybe spoiler warnings are moot.) _

_Just in case anyone was wondering about the chapter titles, they will all relate to the different face cards in a standard sabacc deck. _

_I don't own the rights to _Star Wars_ or related IP, I just currently have 2 _Expanded Universe _novels on my library card and another three on reserve. (In case you're interested, the one's I've got out are 'Choices of One' and 'Legacy of the Force: Tempest')_

Chapter 4: Balance

Leia woke before the alarm she'd set on her chrono went off. She lay on her bunk listening to the breathing of her room mates below her. During her travels and adventures with the Alliance, and also with Han and Luke, she had got used to the lack of privacy that cramped living quarters offered. One thing that did ease it was that Han agreed to install a curtain that pulled across the length of one of the top bunks for when Leia or any other female member of the Rebellion travelled in the _Falcon_. So far it had only been Leia who'd used the space.

Leia peeked out through the curtains to see, on the lower bunk opposite, the unmistakable shape of a bare shoulder half covered with blankets. Below her she could see the brown fur of a Wookiee limb hang over the edge of the bunk. Leia wondered whether Chewbacca was ever comfortable sleeping in such confined spaces.

Quietly Leia shuffled to the foot of the bed to find the previous days clothes and slowly pulled them on. In a way she was grateful that over the last few years she'd know Han he had been happy for her and Luke (although no one else) to treat the _Falcon_ as a home from home, letting them keep spare clothes and possessions in the lockers in the crew's quarters. Despite that, it only meant she had three changes of clothes but mercifully she'd brought a night dress for sleeping on a pervious misadventure so at least she wouldn't have to suffer the discomfort of sleeping in clothes. Very carefully Leia stepped down the ladder from the top bunk and moved to the door. Han gave a murmur and rolled over but didn't appear to wake as Leia slipped out of the room.

Han awoke to the sound of soft footfalls in the corridor outside the sleeping quarters. He'd had a rather restless night, going to bed much later than Leia and Chewbacca only to lie on his bunk. Awake. Thinking. Not a very Han Solo thing to do. Han thought himself a man of action, of snap judgement and impulse, also a man who usually could put his head down on a pillow, decide to wake seven hours later and proceed to have those seven hours as dreamless sleep. Not that night.

_She actually likes me, doesn't she? _Was the thought that had prayed on his mind through the night, the one thought that circled back round even when he tried to think of something else; fixing the _Falcon_, Sabacc, Corellian sunsets, _anything_. Coupled with that thought came a more nervous one, _I actually like her, don't I?_ Han had never been truly tied down to a woman, even when he was with Bria, but suddenly the prospect of at least being tied _up _with a feisty, smart woman like Leia seemed a pleasant one. He'd got to know Leia over the time he'd spent with the Rebellion and knew that her objectives were good, her intentions always pure and her resolve, true. _No wonder she couldn't just sit by in the Imperial Senate and let bad things happen_. In a way, she was a bit like Bria, except for one little thing, betrayal and deceit were foreign concepts to her.

Han had met Bria Tharen when she was a religious pilgrim turned slave labourer on the lush, dank world of Ylesia. The planet was ruled by the Hutts who used brainwashed pilgrims to provide a cheap means of processing Spice. After he had helped her escape they had planned a new life together with new identities so Han could finally join the Imperial Navy.

It had been a dream, she had left and he was heartbroken. _A young fool in love¸ _Han would later describe himself as. Years later he learned that Bria had joined the Corellian resistance and was fighting to defeat the slave trade almost singlehandedly. Han and many of his smuggler friends, including Lando, had agreed to help with one final mission to shut down the Ylesia operation. The rebels got to free the slaves while the smugglers got a share of the loot. But it had been a trick, Bria had lied and Han took the blame when the smugglers received nothing. As a result he really had meant every word he'd said to Leia on the very first day he'd met her, well, at least at the time.

_"Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the money._"

Han could have learnt to hate Bria over the subsequent years had it not been that he discovered that she'd died on a mission very soon after their parting. He'd resisted for the longest time looking her up in the Alliance archives, finally, only three months previously, he'd cracked and searched for the history of Bria's squadron, the Red Hand. They'd been sent to retrieve plans from a secure military installation. Plans to be beamed to a passing Rebellion ship. Plans for the Death Star. _Small galaxy_, Han had mused_. _

_Almost too small_, Han thought before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. He still worried that trusting Lando to have forgiven him might not be the greatest idea he'd had all year.

Han found Leia in the _Falcon_'s cramped galley making a pot of stim tea.

"Good morning." Leia said brightly and Han gave a grunt in reply, realising it wasn't the polite response then said,

"I mean, good morning Leia."

"Tea?" Leia asked as she poured herself a cup.

"Please." Han said gruffly, it felt like it was going to be a long day even if the repairs had been going well. Leia poured a second cup for Han and handed it to him.

"Threepio says we're coming to the comet belt of the Anoat system, soon be clear." Leia said as she left the galley to move to the main seating area with both cup and teapot in hand. Han followed her after collecting a couple of ration bars from the locker. It wasn't an appetising meal but until the food synthesiser could be put online again that was what they'd have to live on.

The pair sat on either side of the table with the teapot between then, Han passed Leia a ration bar and they ate in silence. After a while Leia said,

"Do you ever think about what it would be like to have a normal life?" Han gave Leia a sideways look, _of all the questions!_

"What do you mean?" Han asked, knowing exactly what Leia meant.

"Well, what if I'd been adopted by someone else, somewhere else, like Luke on Tatooine." Leia said with a sort of vacant look in her eyes.

"What? If I'd been born into a nice Corellian family, or at least adopted by one, where would I be now?"

"Yes, where would Captain Han Solo be?" Leia shot Han a sideways smile, she was playing with him.

"Well, for one thing I might be on the opposite side of this war sweetheart, I could still be in the Imperial Navy." Han said setting his cup down.

"Or you could still have saved Chewbacca's life..."

"Maybe, I saved him 'cos I owed a debt I couldn't pay." Han explained.

"Perhaps you would have done it anyway?" Leia mused.

"Who know? Maybe it's, like, destiny." Han said with a shrug.

"You're starting to sound like Luke!" Leia joked and Han pulled a face.

"May the Force help me then!" Han laughed and Leia smiled one of her sweetest more beautiful smiles to Han. Han felt a flush of joy to be with the woman he cared about right there and then.

Later while Chewbacca, with some dubious help from Threepio, were reprogramming some of the _Falcon_'s systems, Han and Leia worked on rigging up some wiring from the domestic electrical supplies.

"What brought on that question over breakfast, sweetheart?" Han asked casually as he began methodically stripping a series of wires.

"I was thinking about Alderaan. If I'd had a normal life I would have died on Alderaan, but then I realised..." Leia trailed off and Han glanced at her,

"You realised that if you'd had a normal life, Alderaan might not have been destroyed at all."

"Yeah." Leia said simply as she began to twist the bare ends of wires together then bind them with tape,

"And it's not for the first time, I know I can't blame myself for what happened, but I also think, _what if?_"

"We all do that Leia, honey. What if the rebels who had stolen the plans had been caught? Would it have been Corellia instead of Alderaan?" Han said, then bit his tougue, _what a way to give away that he'd been snooping through the archives!_

"Corellia?" Leia said, "I guess a lot of that team were Corellian, like their leader Bria Tharen." Leia said and Han tried not to look surprised at the name. Although he had to admit that would have been a turn up for the war. If that had happened, knowing his planet, every Corellian in every corner of the galaxy would have bayed for blood.

"Did you ever meet any of them?" Han casually asked.

"I didn't, but Winter met Commander Tharen at a conference, at Cloud City in fact!" Leia exclaimed.

"I was there at the time but I didn't know it, was the same time I won the _Falcon_." Han said lightly, then cursed himself a thousand times, _can you not shut up today Solo?_

"Wait? You _knew_ Commander Tharen?" Leia demanded and Han looked sheepish.

"I..." Han trailed off, he was _not_ about to open that can of worms with Leia.

"It's ok Han, you don't need to tell me." Leia said leaning over and kissing Han lightly on the forehead.

"I will," Han promised, "Someday."

"Drink?" Leia asked after the moment had passed.

"Please."

"You're a man of mystery Han Solo." Leia said resolutely, standing and dusting herself down.

"Only about some things..." Han trailed off, hypnotised as he watched Leia walk away.

* * *

_Y'know however hard I try all my chapters seem to come out at this length for this fic so I might as well carry on having them about this long._

_Sorry for the slight wait for this chapter, chapter 5 hopefully will be up by Wednesday. _

_Thank you for reading, please review. Both comment and critique are happily received!_


	5. Ace

_I don't own the rights to _Star Wars _or any related IP, I do, however, own a model of Darth Vader's Tie-fighter and a snow speeder I made out of Meccano. _

_Pretty please, if you read, review, bad feedback is better than no feedback._

Chapter 5: Ace

It had been a week since the _Falcon_ had started its long flight on sublights and boredom had begun to kick in. On the eighth 'morning' of their trip, while still in bed, Leia felt the unmistakable lurch of the spaceship pulling a tight manoeuvre while banking around. Alarmed Leia leapt out of bed only to miss-judge as the _Falcon _pulled another tight turn and came crashing to the floor landing painfully against the opposite bunk.

Stumbling down the cockpit corridor, pulling on a shirt over the top of her night dress as she went, she called out angrily,

"What in Mustafar is going on?" Leia bumbled into the cockpit to find Han at the controls looking out of the view port, dodging and weaving his way through the wisps and tendrils of an interstellar dust cloud.

"Oh you're up!" Han said, not turning.

"Yes, thanks to you, I thought we were under attack! What are you playing at laser brains?" Leia snapped, sitting in the co-pilot's seat so as to not be tossed around anymore.

"I-" Han began then stopped, suddenly feeling a little stupid, "I was bored, so I thought I'd test the handling, check she's still ok..."

"And you thought the best time to do that was when I was asleep?" Leia asked and despite herself actually laughed, it was so Han Solo to combat listlessness by taking things off auto-pilot of a bit... and practice manoeuvres through a dust cloud with no thought to his crew. _Such a child at heart still,_ Leia mused, wondering what Han was like as a wide-eyed youth. Probably never wide-eyed for one thing.

"So where are we?" Leia asked as she began running her fingers through her loose hair to comb it.

"Still in interstellar space between the Anoat and Bespin systems, it's going to look like this for a good few days yet, sweetheart." Han said with a sigh. All the repair work in the galaxy couldn't detract from the acute sense of cabin fever that was slowly creeping up on the three sentient occupants of the ship.

"How much more needs to be done before we can make the hyperspace jump?" Leia asked, fearing the answer.

"Two more days at most, Chewie's working on rigging up the final hotwired motivator repairs now. We're going to need a good course though, might take a while to crunch the numbers." Han said, "Goldrod the professor is providing some extra processing power to the navicomputer..."

"Much to his dismay?" Leia interjected and Han laughed.

"Dismay or outrage, 'cept I'm not sure that droid has the capacity of outrage, not without sounding like a turbocharged insect." Han smirked as he sent the _Falcon_ diving through a crimson and lavender arch formed in the dust cloud.

"It's beautiful..." Leia said, looking out at the waves of rainbow coloured gas swirled past the cockpit window.

"I guess it is." Han commented, "Flying a lot has taken the edge of the spectacle of this sort of thing."

"It must... I hear the Kessel run is quite a view." Leia said. _A leading question, _Han thought cautiously.

"It is, sweetheart." Han said knowingly.

"I hear someone once flew it in under 12 parsecs..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Except how could someone claim that was fast when a parsec is a distance not a speed?" _Ok, now she's going to get it_.

"Alright Princess, was it Luke or Chewbacca who told you that that's what I said when I first met Luke and Kenobi?"

"Both, actually. So how come you said she was fast like that?"

"Because," Han said, flicking the _Falcon_ onto a slow autopilot and leaning back in his chair, "the _Falcon_ is fast and manoeuvrable, she can skirt closer to the Maw, take risks through heavier patches of asteroids in the Pit and she's got the best pilot flying her to ever have come out of the Imperial Academy."

"And the most modest I assume?" Leia said, poking Han in the arm.

"Hay, it's me! They didn't call me 'slick' for nothing, y'know." Han said, putting his hands behind his head, much to Leia's aggravation, _why does that pose always remind me of a primate whose just ended up with the most nuts?_

"Oh sure." Leia said, half mocking.

"Anyway, speed equals distance over time honey, you can't deny physics." Han said and Leia leaned over to Han and put her lips by his ear to whisper.

"You're an impossible man, Han Solo." Her words tickled against his ear and he turned to face her.

"But?" He questioned.

"But," she planted a quick kiss on his cheek letting the soft waves of her loose hair brush against his face, "sometimes I like it." Leia stood and walked back aft.

Han glanced back along the corridor. _She does it deliberately, making me watch her go_... He thought with a smile, feeling a burning passion grip at his heart.

Later, after dinner, the four crew members of the _Falcon_ sat in the main hold. Threepio was sitting awkwardly at the Comms station while Chewbacca graciously took up a place on the floor to allow Han and Leia use of the table. They had decided to play a game of naming the best or worst planet they'd ever visited in turn without repetition or naming their own home planet. Whoever failed had to do the next shift keeping watch.

"Umm..." Leia paused trying to think of another worst planet, she'd already named Ord Mantell (much to Han's chagrin who said that was one of his) and was having trouble thinking of another,

"Ok, Coruscant." Leia declared.

Chewbacca rumbled something and Threepio piped up,

"I agree with Chewbacca, it might be bad but it can't be the worst planet you've visited."

"Oh I agree with Leia." Han said and Leia gave a smile.

"Not for the same reasons I'm sure." Leia sat up and assumed a tone of voice Han once called her 'diplomatic dialect' complete with, ironically, Coruscanti inflections to some words. "Coruscant represents the casual complacency rife within the Empire. It used to be home to a thousand species, a thousand languages and a thousand cultures where politics, science and arts were all in the melting pot. It used to represent the best of the galaxy..." Leia trailed off, blushing.

"Not anymore." Han said, "But sweetheart, Coruscant was rotten down at its core for millennia, it's only just surfaced."

Leia gave a silence nod.

There was a pause and Chewbacca woofed a comment,

"Ok, Chewie, you're turn, the best planet you've visited." Han said. Chewbacca cocked his head to one side in thought then said something.

"He said Mon Calamari." Han offered Leia the translation, "But why?" Han asked, "you hate being wet."

Chewbacca gave a long eloquent, rapid reply and even Han didn't catch all of but Threepio quickly offered the translation this time,

"Chewbacca says that it is one best planet he has visited because it reminds him of home. Mon Calamari is a world of oceans just as Kashyyyk is a sea of forests."

"That's a lovely thought." Leia said dreamily, _something so different but the same_.

"Right Han, it's your turn, one of the best planets you've visited." Leia said patting his knee.

Han thought for a moment, much to Leia's horror he'd already named Nah Shaddaa as one of his favourite planets. He'd had to explain that it wasn't because of the planet, it was the people and especially the Corellian sector where he felt more at home than perhaps on his own planet.

"Alright," Han finally said, "Alderaan."

Han watched a slight shadow of grief pass over her face and Han worried he'd said the wrong thing.

"When did you visit?" Leia asked.

"Hay we don't have to talk about it, I'm sorry I brought it up." Han said quickly but Leia shook her head,

"No, it's ok, I want to hear about your visit."

"Well..." Han said, leaning back in his chair, "I was running, I mean, _delivering_ a shipment when my ship was attacked and my co-pilot was injured. It was when I was working on Ylesia, I was about eighteen at the time."

"A young Han Solo, I can barely believe it!" Leia joked.

"Funny." Han responded sarcastically before continuing, "So we needed a medical facility for Muuurgh, I'm not sure many Alderaanians had seen a Togorian before so asking to treat him probably was a bit of a shock."

"You sure have an affinity with befriending fearsome sentients!" Leia exclaimed and Chewbacca laughed then barked an interjection that he remembered his brother-in-fur Muuurgh fondly. Leia had only seen a Togorian once before, a tabby coloured female who had worked for a time on a Chandrillan Alliance frigate as a engineer. They were certainly a species that once seen, for their vast height let along their ferocious looking teeth and claws, were never forgotten.

"So while Muuurgh was getting treatment I decided to see the sights and get something to eat. Nerf and tubers!"

"Ha! The only thing you can remember is the food." Leia declared, "Trust a space bum like you to remember that!"

"Hay, the place I had the meal was amazing, there was this singer who played one of the best ballads I've ever heard. At the time though I hated how, errr..." Han paused choosing his words carefully, "nice everything was."

"Nice?" Leia enquired.

"Well, when you've grown up where everyone and their co-pilot wears guns and any ideas of diplomacy usually occur at gun point it was a change. I couldn't believe the holo I watched on the approach to the planet. No crime? It was a hard thing to believe."

"Holo?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, of Bail Organa greeting visitors..." Han watched Leia look away, almost out of, what? Embarrassment?

"Oh dear." Leia muttered.

"What?" Han asked.

"I remember them filming that, father wanted me in the film too, I was only small at the time..." Leia tried to laugh to shake the shame of it but failed. Han could say nothing but grin.

"I'm sure I thought you were a cute kid at the time..." Han said. Actually he'd know what he had thought, at that little Princess must be living a perfect little life in a perfect little palace... Han could feel the shame wash over him...

"What?" Leia caught his eye.

Han sighed, "Actually, at the time, I thought that little Princess was living in her ivory tower."

"What do you think now?" Leia jibed.

"I think she still deserves to." Han said before standing and stretching, "Bed, I think."

_He's embarrassed and trying to walk away, _Leia thought, _but I'll let him._

Leia found Han half an hour later lying in bed.

"Chewbacca's keeping watch for a while, he says he's not tired."

"Oh, right." Han said, rolling over the face the wall.

"Hay, you never finished telling me about when you visited Alderaan." Leia said, sitting on the edge of Chewbacca's bunk opposite.

"There's not much more to tell." Han grumbled.

"Really?" Leia enquired.

"Oh alright." Han sighed, he might as well give her something, that story wasn't exactly baring his soul as much as his shame.

"There's not a lot in my life that I am proud of, and not much I'm not proud of, but visiting Alderaan contains a moment I'm certainly not proud of now." Han said rolling over to face Leia, propping himself up on an elbow.

"What happened?" Leia asked carefully.

"Well, the shipment I had was full of Spice. I had the crazy idea that I'd lie to the Hutts, claim the cargo had been stolen, and look, I wanted freedom and..." Leia cut him off,

"Wait, You tried to sell _Spice_ on _Alderaan_?"

"Hay, I was young, I was brash, I was-"

"Stupid?" Leia offered.

"Ha, cute." Han retorted and Leia laughed then winked,

"Aren't I just?"

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had fun writing it._

_Please leave and comment or critique, both are gladly received and thank you as always for reading._


	6. Mistress

_Thank you to everyone who has continued to support this fic, it's a real boost to know people are enjoying what I've written._

_I don't own the rights to Star Wars but I do think 'I know' is the most perfect Han Solo line ever._

Chapter 6: Mistress

The next day Han and Chewbacca got up early to finish off work on the hyperdrive. Han had tasked Leia with some rewiring after a test on one of the auxiliary power systems had fried most of the main circuitry to the drives. Leia had pulled out several panels and laid them out on the floor of one of the holds. Down the corridor she could hear another exasperated exclamation as Han once again found something else that needed fixing before the _Falcon_'s attempt at a hyperspace jump.

Leia smiled to herself as she thought of the image, Han in the maintenance pit under the hyperdrive, Chewbacca standing above, shaking his head and laughing at his best friend's aggravation. Leia liked to image Han in lots of different lights, the glow of the console panels in the cockpit, the blue haze from the hyperdrive... a Hoth sunset. Leia shook her head, she was fantasising again about something that wasn't going to happen. In a fit of anger she violently striped a wire only to slice her hand on the bare metal. She gave a yelp before sucking the wound.

"Did you hear something?" Han asked Chewbacca who tilted his head to listen,

"Sounded like Leia." Han continued, pulling himself out from under the hyperdrive.

Chewbacca gave a low grumble,

"Yeah, I'm sure she's alright." Han said with a shrug, not an easy feat half wedged under a mass of mechanics. "Pass me the 00 gauge hydrospanner and a vibroscalpel." Chewbacca obliged and Han ducked back under the hyperdrive.

"Ok Chewie, when I say, put through ten percent power." There was a pause and Han tightened several bolts and manually sliced a fuse. "Ok, now."

Han gave a whoop of joy as the hyperdrive gave a reassuring hum of power before a whole panel next to Chewbacca blew out. Chewbacca grabbed the fire extinguisher and Han scrambled out to assess the damage.

"Ok, so now we're running on thirty percent sublights..."

Leia felt the ship violently slow as simultaneously she heard the explosion. She didn't need to go through the check that they were ok, though, she could hear them both using colourful enough language to know they were fine, just angry.

"Mistress Leia," Threepio appeared at the doorway, "I believe the ship has unexpectedly slowed." Leia rolled her eyes but guessed Threepio wasn't too good at picking up on subtle human gestures.

"Han and Chewbacca will be sorting it, Threepio." Leia said.

"Mistress Leia, while I understand that keeping watch in the cockpit is an important task, may I be of assistance?"

"Actually, yes." Leia said, "you can hand me the parts as I need them."

Leia then bore witness to perhaps the most awkward thing she had ever seen, a protocol droid attempting to sit down on a hard floor. Instead of keeling Threepio sat with his legs straight out in front of him twisting his body so he could more easily pass things to Leia. Leia had to stifle a laugh at this bizarre scene.

As Leia returned to her work once again he mind wandered back to thoughts of Han. From an early age Leia had be taught that womanly charm was a great diplomatic asset and so had taken care to make use of it when it was needed. However, she had rarely made use of the other kind of womanly charm with anyone but a few select individuals. Yet, yesterday she had been practically _flirting_ with Han Solo. Leia felt herself colour a little at the thought. So, they'd kissed twice and it was, well, nice. And the thought of his smile gave her butterflies and the shame of his comment to Luke had faded into irrelevance. Yes, she hadn't quite worked out what her _true feelings_ towards Han were but she was sure she'd work it out soon.

"Oh Threepio, what am I doing?" Leia suddenly sighed.

"Misstress Leia it appears you are rewiring a resistor relay."

"No I mean what am I _doing_?"

"I don't quite understand mistress..." Threepio tried for a gesture to show confusion but instead just shook his head. Leia sighed again.

"Do you know much about human relationships Threepio?"

"Well I am fluent in over six million forms of communication, but the rituals and languages of human interaction confuses me greatly. There is no fix form, no standard procedure or set syntax."

"So if I asked you for advice you wouldn't be able to give me any?" Leia enquired.

"Regrettably not Mistress Leia."

"Good." Leia said, _advice is the _last_ thing I need!_ "But I hope you won't mind me talking about it."

"Of course not, part of my programming is to provide companionship, also, it will help me greater understand these, err, human relationships."

"Ok, I'll start at the beginning..."

It took nearly an hour, including stops and starts for particularly tricky bits of soldering, for Leia to recount her entire relationship with Han to See-Threepio. She'd started with his 'quite a mercenary' phase that followed through to his 'refusing to take orders' phase, out past his 'I know you like me really' phase to, finally, his current phase, 'Rebel Captain, sometime scoundrel, part time nice man'.

"So what you're saying Mistress Leia, is that the progression of your perception towards Captain Solo has lead to you finding him...?" Threepio trailing, seeming lacking the vocabulary to continue.

"I think that's the case with any relationship." Leia said with a shrug, "One of the first things I said to Chewbacca was 'can someone get this walking carpet out of my way?', now, he's one of my dearest friends."

"Ok, once more." Han said to Chewbacca who hesitated before throwing a series of switches on the control panel by him. There was a sparking and the faint smell of ozone but surprisingly everything seemed to be humming quite nicely. Somewhere aft the sublights responded and Han felt the ship shudder with the sudden acceleration again.

"That's better, we'll just need to wire back in the circuits Leia is working on and we'll be back up to eighty percent sublight speed."

Chewbacca grumbled a comment that it would be a hundred percent if Han would actually trust the repairs that Chewbacca had done to the coolant system days earlier. Han looked at his feet and raised his hands in defence,

"Hay pal, you know I don't mean it that way, we need that coolant for the hyperdrive too." Chewbacca muttered to himself about Han trusting repair droids more than him at times and Han chuckled to himself at his co-pilot's ersatz aggravation. Han then went to do a quick course adjustment to account for the change in speed.

Han passed by the entrance way to the hold where Leia and Threepio were working only to slow as he heard soft talking. He was sure he'd just heard his name being mentioned but didn't want to risk looking like he'd been bulkhead-dropping by walking in right then. Shifting slowly past the doorway he made his way quietly to the cockpit, trying to catch another snatch of Leia's conversation but was too far away to make out anything more than tone of voices.

"The only problem is," Leia sighed, "He won't be coming back."

"But Mistress Leia, although the odds of Captain Solo returning from Jabba the Hutt intact is worse than sixteen thousand and thirty-eight to one, considering financial circumstances and Hutt Lords tendency towards brutality, he had beaten worse odds in the past few weeks." Usually Threepio's pessimism and insistence at quoting the odds drove Leia to distraction but today, she laughed. And laughed, then continued to laugh until Threepio exclaimed,

"Mistress Leia are you quite well?"

"I am Threepio. I am." Maybe he could come back, after all, he was Han Solo wasn't he?

"What's so funny?" Han said appearing at the door and Leia blushed and chocked back a giggle.

"Nothing, Han, I'm just feeling better about something." Leia said cryptically. Han gave a bewildered sigh.

"Well, err, good. Are those circuits finished."

"I've just one more to do, here." She passed the completed circuits to Han who went to install them back in the circuit mounts. Frankly he was confounded by Leia's fit of apparent hysteria but in a way it was nice to see her smile, he had to admit that she rarely had much to smile about.

That 'evening' Han found Leia keeping watch in the cockpit fiddling with a pad of flimsi he didn't even know had been onboard.

"Where did you find that?" Han asked, feeling decidedly odd for having to sit in the co-pilot's chair.

"It was in one of the storage lockers in the cabin. I didn't think you were much of a writer, at least not the stylus to flimsi kind." Leia said as she ripped a sheet from the book and began folding the corners into the centre.

"No I'm more the fingers to data pad type, and only when needed, reports drive me mad." Han conceded, "But you're not exactly writing on it either." Han noted as Leia tore off part of the flimsi before unfolding it to reveal a square.

"I'm trying to remember the flimsi-folding that me and Winter were taught at..." Leia trailed off, and blushed,

"At?" Han pressed and Leia gave a short, melodic laugh.

"When Winter and I were fourteen we were sent to on a summer retreat with other younglings from various mid and outer rim planets."

"To do what?"

"It was a training programme for the kind of person who was, well, going into a certain kind of public service." Han laughed this time, and Leia looked down at her hands, busying herself with her folding.

"You went to a summer prep school?" Han chucked.

"Laugh it up, nerf herder." Leia retorted.

"And what else did you learn at this _prep_ school." Han said, leaning on the word.

"Well, etiquette, elocution lessons for public speaking," Han gave a grin at her response and Leia caught his eye, "Yes, yes, all very dull to you I'm sure, we learnt galactic history and politics with a very Imperialistic weighting to it, oh, and side arms training." Han shot Leia a _you're joking, right_? look and Leia gave a smile, "'One should not be reliant on the protection of others without first acquiring the knowledge to project oneself in the first instance.'" Leia quoted, "Our fire arms instructor was an interesting man..."

"Sounds it, teaching fourteen year olds how to shoot, but I agree with him." Han said.

"Good." Leia said, before holding up her finished flimsi model, a crude but fairly cleverly folded long necked avian.

"We were taught napkin folding as part of our etiquette lessons, but they had us practicing on flimsi first." Explained as she smoothed out the creases on her little flimsi bird. "I was so proud of one in particular I folded it dozens of times. Father had one on his office desk." Leia said, her voice vanishing into a whisper as she remembered.

"What was it?"

"Would you believe it, so the males in the group would take part they had us fold T-65's one afternoon."

"X-wings?" Han asked.

"Not really the sort of thing to have at place setting for a formal dinner, but yes, X-wings." Leia said, placing her little bird model on the console.

"Would you like me to show you how to do it?" Leia asked, ripping a new page from the pad.

"Sure why not? There's little else to do when Chewie and Threepio play battle chess, except maybe goad Threepio." Han said before being handed a piece of flimsi.

"I'm sure." Leia smiled before showing Han firstly how to make a starting square.

The cockpit was soon filled with the laughs and groans of the pair as they tried to fold X-wings until Chewbacca came to tell them to be quieter as they were distracting him from his game against Threepio. The pair could only smile at their gruff friend before throwing flismi X-wings at him. Chewbacca stomped away in a huff only to chuckle to himself as he returned to his game. He thought it was nice to see his best friend so happy. As Chewbacca sat back down to the game Threepio said,

"I just don't understand humans."

Chewbacca smiled, _**Sometimes, neither do I. **_

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Don't believe that an origami pattern for X-wings exist? Try a quick internet search and be amazed at the awesome! (Also there's a few patterns for the _Falcon_ as well)._

_We're about half way through the fic right now and I'm rather pleased with how it's going, hopefully I won't run out of steam before the end!_

_Next chapter (ooo, I'm giving chapter hints, exciting) will see the appearance of an infamous game and a respectable man._


	7. Master

_Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait for this chapter but life gets in the way of writing sometimes. Thank you for all the support I've received for this fic, I'm glad people are enjoying it. _

_I don't own the rights to Star Wars or any other related IP but I do borrow my sister's _Star Wars_ Eyewitness Guide books a lot._

_Reader warning: _Star Wars _Universe 'adult' language and a bit of romance will be featuring (nothing racy). You have been warned! _

_As always, please review, comments and critique are equally, gladly received._

Master

The elation and frivolities of Han and Leia's evening folding flimsi X-wings soon faded over the next few days after suddenly, and unexpectedly, everything with the _Falcon_ seemed to go wrong. Firstly the navicomputer died a catastrophic death due to an accidently reversed polarity to one of the power circuits. The failure was so bad that the organic members of the crew had to spend the next day taking turns piloting while the computer was fixed. Piloting became a skull-shatteringly dull task since even the inter-solar dust clouds had now thinned and dispersed. Fixing that issue only lead to subsequent problems.

Ducking in too close to a uncharted exosolar comet when the autopilot resumed lead to the whole sensor array being fried and the concussion shielding taking a further pounding. The Anoat system's asteroid field had already left the armour in a poor state. Han even contemplated completely stopping to perform external repairs before Leia reminded him that the sooner they arrived at Bespin the sooner a much better job could be done. Han didn't like the idea of being a blind, sitting duck in case company did come calling anyway so agreed. Chewbacca however managed to work a miracle of internal repairs and even installed a warning system in case another uncharted object came hurtling in their direction. Han meanwhile calculated the trajectory of the comet and mapped it in a bold dotted red line on the hard copy of the local star chats he kept on the _Falcon_. When he finished his calculations he bundled away the flimsis as the Princess walked into the hold. She didn't see that he had labelled the exosolar body, _Leia_.

The final insult to all the previous injury to Han's beloved ship came in the form of the _Falcon,_ despite all signals and diagnostics and flashing lights to the contrary, refused to jump into hyperspace.

"You kriffing bucket of good for nothing bolts!" Han shouted to the _Falcon_ for the umpteenth time that afternoon. He stood with a hydrospanner in one hand and a look that could kill in his eyes as he angrily worked at the panels by the hyperdrive.

"I'm going to kriffing melt you down and sell you for scrap if I don't vape you first, you fracking useless excuse for a space worthy vessel!" He muttered to the circuit boards. Almost as if the _Falcon _could hear him a painful shock of electricity arched from the circuit boards to Han making his hair stand on end and causing him to descend into an even more colourful tirade of abuse to his, usually, beloved spaceship. He continued until he had excused his full repertoire of insults and curses from every language, planet and argot he knew before collapsing in a heap on the floor, worn out from anger.

Leia had kept out of Han's way all afternoon since he had started working on that particular section of the hyperdrive. Noting the sudden, surprising break in the flow of insults and language that would make a Nar Shaddaa trader blush, Leia thought it might be safe to see how the _Falcon_'s Captain was getting on.

Not well. Leia found Han slumped against the wall by the inspection hatch. He was sucking a nasty looking electrical burn on his hand while cradling the other in the crook of his arm pit, muttering what seemed to be apologises, probably to the _Falcon_ herself. _He's been punching bulkheads again..._ Leia thought, heart swelling with sympathy for him.

"Hay, what happened?" Leia said falling to her knees next to Han, cupping his chin gently in her hands.

"Nothing, it's fine, I just was taking a break." Han replied gruffly, trying to stand, only to steady himself with his burnt hand and slipped back to the floor with a yelp of pain and a string of Huttese curses.

"Here, let me get you a medkit." Leia said standing.

"I'm _fine_." Han barked and Leia gave him her sternest looked.

"Don't be a baby, nerf herder." Leia said as gently as she could, looking down at him.

"Leave me alone you Worship." Han spat.

"Stang Solo, let me help!" Han looked at her in shock, he wasn't sure he'd ever heard her swear but it certainly shook him out of the mood he was in. Standing, he followed Leia to the main hold where the medkit was kept and allowed her to gently apply bacta cream and bandages to his burns before examining his other hand.

"Just bruising I think." Leia concluded after bending and extending each of Han's fingers and feeding the bones in his palm.

"Thanks." Han grumbled, not catching Leia's eye.

"Hay," Leia said, tipping his chin upwards so he looked her straight in the eye, "don't take things so hard." Han gave a shrug but said nothing. He looked exhausted, all this unexpected work was making it look like they may never make it to Bespin, either in time for Leia to return to the fleet, or, more worryingly, at all.

"Sorry it's just..." Han didn't know what to say.

"This ship means everything to you. I understand." Leia said, "she's got you through a lot, she's your home. You've poured your soul into her. Even I can see there's something of you in her... in her personality."

"It's funny when you put it that way." Han said trying to smile.

"We'll get through this. _She'll_ get us through this." Leia said standing up from the bench and started to pack the medkit away.

Han grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"When did you become the optimist?" Han asked and Leia gave a smile.

"Because you're Han Solo." Leia said.

"The ol' Solo luck has been known to fail in the past." Han replied.

"But not now and not today." Leia said leaning in and kissing Han.

At first it was gentle, soothing and Han savoured the calm that washed over him as he shared the serenity of the moment with Leia. Then it became playful as she tried to pull away only for Han to chase her back, move in close and wrap his arching arms around her neck. Suddenly Leia was moving around from her seat and straddling his knees, arms around his waist. Han's kisses became more forceful and urgent as Leia pressed herself close to him. Leia kissed his lips individually before biting his bottom lip. Han gave a short moan of surprise before kissing her rough and passionately, working from her mouth down her neck and back up again. Eyes closed, both savouring the taste of the others kisses they continued their passionate embrace. Then, without a spoken word between them, they slowed and calmed into a final, lingering kiss.

Leia opened her eyes to find Han staring at her and she felt herself colour.

"What?" she asked.

"You're beautiful," Han said, "And, I think I needed that."

"And what was _that_?" Leia asked, stroking Han's chin. He'd let it become stubbly over the last few days.

"You." Han said, before giving her one final fleeting peck on the lips and letting her stand. Han stood and brushed passed her back to the hyperdrive. Leia watched him go, a smile playing on her lips.

* * *

Appearing above Han down in the maintenance pit Chewbacca growled a demand to his best friend.

"What do you mean, 'what was that all about?'" Han looked up to see Chewie tilt his head to one side, Han knew exactly what he was asking.

"Ok, so I guess you overheard me and Leia in the main hold earlier." Chewie replied, informing him his ears were still burning.

"Hay pal, it wasn't that bad!" Han exclaimed. Chewbacca gave a low, melodious chuckle.

"Anyway, I think I've just about got things sorted, so wire the professor up to the navicomputer because we're going to be seeing star-streaks real soon." Han said pulling himself out of the pit.

Chewbacca purred a sensitively phrased question yet despite that Han whirled on him.

"Hay! I don't need you telling me what's going to happen after Bespin. I don't care if I have to spend a life time searching for her afterwards, I'm..." Han trailed off, he was being ridiculous. Chewbacca didn't say anything however, simply gave a nod and went to find Threepio.

* * *

"Lady, gentleman, that's me," He winked at Leia who smiled, "Wookiee and Android, I present..." Han declared , doing a quick whirl while throwing up his hands, no small task in the cockpit of the _Falcon_, "The reinstating of a partially working hyperdrive, for probably one trip and one trip only." Chewbacca and Leia gave a clap and Threepio looked puzzled.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" Han said, flicking numerous switches on the main control, leaping up to relay the final co-ordinates from the navicomputer and giving the bulkhead above the doorway one final thump just to make sure.

"Over the my glamorous assistant, Chewbacca... punch it!" There was a pause, a shudder, the sound of motivators and mechanical implements whirring and a faint aroma of hot wiring, then magically, wonderfully and with a collective sigh of relief the stars in front of the cockpit streaked as they hurtled into hyperspace.

Despite herself, Leia actually cheered, and despite Han's self, he leaned over, in full view of Threepio and Chewbacca and kissed Leia square on the mouth.

"Thank goodness we're in hyperspace, and I never expected I'd say that!" Threepio exclaimed, apparently not noticing the actions of his two human counterparts. Chewbacca gave a sigh that encompassed his feelings towards both his human and metallic friends before standing and headed towards the corridor.

"Where did you learn to make speeches like that?" Leia asked and Chewbacca turned and with what Leia could only discern as glee reeled off a response that Leia didn't completely catch. Han, however coloured bright red. Leia looked over at Threepio who was unhooking himself from the navicomputer for a translation,

"Chewbacca says-" Threepio began, noticing his cue.

"I _know_ what he says!" Han interjected and Leia laughed.

"You might, but I didn't catch all of it." Leia said, goading him,

"Chewbacca says you probably learnt it when you worked as a magician's assistant for Xaverri several years ago."

"Magician's- _assistant_? Did you have to wear a glittery costume too?" Leia spluttered with laughter and Han turned an even more vibrant shade of crimson.

"Stage hand! And I don't have to answer that!"

Chewbacca barked a response that Leia knew the meaning of and roughly translated, _stop talking poodoo, pup. _Han continued to protest but all Chewbacca and Leia could do was laugh.

Leia had never been on the receiving end of Han Solo sulking until now. She often though he'd be the kind of man who'd be above sulking until two months previously when he sulked for two days solid because Wedge had beaten him at Sabacc. It had taken a smuggled bottle of Corellian spiced ale and Chewbacca cooking up some of Han's favourite flat breads to snap him out of it. Granted the fact that Luke and Leia had teased him mercilessly about him loosing hadn't helped. Seeing Han sulk over something embarrassing in his past was a hard thing to not find amusing though.

"Oh come on Han, you'll have to talk to us eventually." Leia said presenting him with a cup of stim tea on the third morning of their very slow and tenuous hyperspace travelling. Han all but pouted before taking the tea with a grunt and allowing Leia to examine the burns on his hand.

"Healing up nicely." She assessed, before smearing another layer of bacta cream on the scars making Han wince.

"Look Han, since you've forbidden us to even turn on the holoradio lest this hunk of space junk grinds to a halt we've all ended up pretty bored here and you not talking to us isn't helping." Leia said, poking Han in the ribs. Han shot Leia a look then finally sighed.

"Sorry." Han mumbled and stood up.

"Yeah sure." Leia said with a sigh, "Look, there's only so many times someone can organise the same tool boxes, listen to Threepio's same three jokes and count the same ceiling tiles before going down with space fever."

"Well, the _Falcon's_ not really geared up for entertaining."

"No, but if you can't think of something we'll all go space sick, unless you want me repeating Threepio's jokes again and again." Leia joked lightly.

"There's really not much we can-"

"What do you call the being who brings a rancor dinner?" Leia began,

"Ok, I'll try and find something to do..." Han said standing, then turned back to her, "What _do_ you call the being who brings a rancor dinner?"

"The appetiser!" Leia exclaimed and Han laughed.

"Oh Mistress Leia! I've remembered I do know another joke!" Threepio tottered into the cockpit while Leia sat staring into hyperspace.

"Yes Threepio?" Leia said with a sigh.

"So a Corellian, Chandrilan and Hapan walk into a cantina and-" Threepio began only to be interrupted by Han bustling down the corridor.

"Hay, I've found something else for us to do." Han said, beckoning Leia through into the main hold.

"Sabacc?" Leia asked, stunned as she watched Han and Chewbacca set up the cards on the table.

"Yeah, I'll teach you." Han said patting the chair next to him.

They played the first few rounds with cards face up while Han explained the rules to Leia. The aim of the game was to get as close to positive or negative 23 as possible using four cards. The values of the cards shifted at random intervals unless they were placed down, in a casino into an interference field, but in the case of Han's personal deck when placed flat on a table. Han explained the rules of betting and calling until after another a third practice round they were ready to start.

"Are you playing Threepio?" Han called over casually to the metallic droid who sat, dejected, in his now-usual spot at the comms station.

"Sir, lying is against my programming." Threepio said in what Han could have sworn sounded like a moan.

"What about 'bluffing?" Han offered.

"I believe that is the same thing, Captain Solo, at least, practically speaking."

"Ok, goldrod you can deal."

"I see your twenty credits and raise five." Leia said confidently placing the chips into the hand pot. Chewbacca grumbled as he placed his cards face down on the table for Threepio to scoop up and return to the deck. Han had being playing conservatively through the whole of the current round. Leia thought that this time she was in with a chance.

"I'll call your raise." Han said and threw in five more credits into the hand pot. Leia had the Master of Sabres and The Queen of Air and Darkness on the table, with a value of fourteen and negative two respectively. Han on the other hand had the six of flasks and the Ace of Coins on the table, totalling twenty one.

"Mistress Leia, it's on you to, err, call or move to the next round of betting." Threepio chirruped. Han did some quick maths, if she knew he had twenty one on the table then she must have something close to a pure sabacc.

"I'll call." Leia said, placing her remaining cards on the table, the eight of staves and one of coins, "Twenty one." Leia declared, glancing at Han who looked suddenly crest fallen.

"Two of flasks," He sighed, and Leia looked hopeful, he there was nothing he could do but bomb out with one card still to go, "And," he said, throwing down his card, "The Idiot. Pure Sabacc." Han said with a smile, gathering the credit chips from the hand and sabacc pots.

Leia slumped back in her chair.

"You were toying with me, making me think you'd bombed out like that."

"Well..." Han gave a shrug of false modestly.

"Is there anything underneath that thick layer of bravado?" Leia asked with one eyebrow raised.

"It's not bravado honey, what you see with me is absolutely what you get."

"Except when you're playing cards." Leia said and Han chuckled, the sort of carefree laugh she had rarely heard from the rebel captain. It made her skin seem to crawl seeing him smile... but in a good way. A _nice_ way.

"Shall we continue?" Han asked. Leia smiled sweetly,

"I think so."

* * *

The man sitting at the quartzine desk in the long white office, with vast sweeping windows was one of impeccable taste, impeccably groomed. His milky caf coloured skin was set off by a shimmering gold tunic top and ruby coloured half-cloak over black military style trousers and highly polished boots. His hair was elegantly coiffed, contrasted by the rakish moustache that sat above a mouth containing perfectly white, pristinely straight teeth. Lando Calrissian knew the value of looking and playing the part, especially now he had a job that commanded respect.

Spread across the desk were the current month's shipping manifests and the work schedules for the next two week's rotation. Being Baron Administrator of Cloud City came with a level of responsibility and tiresome flimsi-work that didn't come from being a professional gambler. On the other hand he couldn't deny he was enjoying himself. Outside the sweeping windows lay a sprawling vista of the technological marvel of Cloud City itself, suspended in the endless clouds of Bespin's Tabanna rich atmosphere. His own, small, private empire. Well, enterprise at least.

Lando picked up his personal datapad from the top of a pile of files and scrolled through some of the reports that he'd received for less savoury channels than the administrative team he had at his disposal. A bribe to an imperial yeoman had clearly paid off as the officer had just submitted a report that the sector fleet had recently been reinforced by the enigmatic Lord Vader's own personal war ships. Rumours were also circulating that the influx of ships to the Hoth system were due to Rebel activity and that a pirate fleet was currently patrolling the hpyerspace routes between Anoat and Bespin.

Lando's brows knitted together in thought. All three of those groups could be responsible for the disappearance of several cargo ships lately. Although none of the crews had been of Cloud City stock it was regrettable that the instances were potential losses of life, and from a purely business stand point, disastrous for his customer's faith, many of whom wanted to keep a low profile.

Lando had dealt with a lot of people in his time from aliens and sentient robots to imperials and back stabbing rebels. However he'd never dealt with such a varied mix of customers as he did now. Universities wanting Tabanna for laser technology research unable to acquire it through normal channels because of the war effort, fringe members of the Corporate Sector, even groups that he was sure probably had sympathies for the Rebel Alliance, (or as likely, fronts for the Alliance themselves). Lando gave a sigh, he hadn't planned for the job to get political. He wanted to keep his head down, ride out the current war and make a profit.

Although maybe not in that order.

* * *

_Yes my goodness golly gosh that was a long chapter. Yes, before you ask, I didn't make that rancor appetiser joke up, I stole it from Jacen Solo. I'm interested though if anyone can think of a punch line to the joke beginning 'A Corellian, A Chandrilan and a Hapan walk into a Cantina...' _

_Please review if you've read, comment and critique both happily received. _

_Hints for chapter 8, the title: "The Queen of Air and Darkness"_


	8. Queen of Air and Darkness

_Sorry for the absence but I've been working on other writing and plus I've been stuck in lately along with the kind of clawing boredom that completely numbs your brain so writing this one, at least getting started, was a stretch. But MC Chris's _Han Solo_ song got me back in the mood enough to start writing this so on with chapter 8._

_A brief pre-amble about the chapter. Firstly, goodness do I love the fact I finally get to write this chapter, I've had this one on the brain for ages and now I've finally got there! Secondly, the chapter title, oh man, do I love this Sabacc card name. I hope you've all be trying to guess who the queen of air and darkness is, because you're about to find out! Gah, I'll say no more!_

_I don't own the rights to Star Wars but I do wish I owned a pair of trousers with Corellia bloodstripes on them._

_Please review if you read, comment and critique keeps me writing._

Queen of Air and Darkness

Han woke up several hours before his chrono alarm went off feeling surprisingly awake. Lying in the grainy darkness of the cabin he let his mind wander. So, Leia had kissed him the day before, but what did it mean? The simple answer, Han knew, was that she liked him, the complex answer was a little harder to fathom. She, kissed, _him_. Han gave a low, vocal grown at the thought of it all. _What have I got myself into this time?_ This was not like him leaving Salla when she all but threatened to marry him against his will and the kindest thing was to leave sharpish. This was the heartbreaking anguish of knowing his and Leia's time together was short. Just as his own life span could currently be counted in days so could their relationship together... whatever exactly their relationship was.

_What a kriffing mess. _Han's mind declared, _for once, in a long time, I don't want to run or jump ship on a relationship just because it's got serious. And I have to, else I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. _Han felt a swell of deep gratitude as he thought about how he'd managed to amass the money for the pay off in the first place.

* * *

After the battle of Yavin Han actually had his payoff money stolen by pirates with, irony of all ironies, associations to the Hutt Lord Jabba. Even after recovering the reward he'd donated it back to the alliance as a gift, feeling for once that someone else needed the money more than he did. After all, in Luke and Leia he had found friends, maybe even something resembling a family. That was much better than money. In the end it had taken many misadventures to finally amass over and above what he owed Jabba. The fact was Han had been expected to donate any finances raised as part of the war effort back into the Alliance and he had always done so. Except, one day, after a briefing Mon Mothma had approached him and lead him into her office. She barely said a word only went to her desk and produced a data card and handed it to Han.

Han had looked at it in shock, he recognised the encryption markings, a secure credit transfer chip.

"I can't." His voice had been like glue in his throat.

"Captain Solo I'm afraid you can. If the Alliance can't help their own who can they help? This is all strictly off the record, as far as anyone is concerned this money was ear-marked for bribery and other less savoury dealings."

"A little white lie then." Han tired to joke, "I still-"

"I'll hear no more of it or I'll have you court marshalled. I want you to leave and do this for yourself, you've earned it." Mon said more softly than her words would have betrayed.

"I may not come back from this m'lady and your money will be in the hands of that slimo, Jabba." Han said, too stunned to not mince words for the sake of politeness. Mon looked away as if suddenly interested in something on the far wall. Han had know her long enough to know that the veneer of cool serenity was showing cracks right now.

"I know Captain Solo, I know. But spare Princess Leia the heartache of living in hope, when you leave, tell her goodbye."

* * *

In his own way he had tried to spare her, but what else could he have said at the time there in those icy corridors? Han breathed a heavy sigh. How did things get so complicated so quickly? Again he knew the answer, the second he'd gone back after hearing the command centre had been hit it had revelled the truth even if he wasn't quite ready to admit it. He cared. _"You're friend is quite a mercenary, I wonder if he cares about anything, or anyone."_

"I care." He said aloud. Three years it had taken for Han Solo to admit it. "I, _care_." He whispered before jumping down from his bunk and going to check on their progress through hyperspace.

Before going to bed Han had switched off all the non-essential systems in an attempt to further boost the power to the Hyperdrive. As a result he had to move through cool, twilight filled corridors, lit only by the bluish glow of the floor mounted emergency lights. He shivered a little, wishing he'd pulled on a shirt instead of just wearing the thin trousers he'd slept in.

As he passed the entrance to the main hold he saw a bundle of blankets curled up in the corner of the seating by the gaming table. After the Sabacc game had run its course the night before Leia had decided to say up and read for a while. Han gave a smile seeing her huddled up. He moved into the room and gentle pulled the blanket down the cover her feet. Leia stirred but didn't wake as Han took the datapad out of her limp hand and placed it down on the table. Han's datapad, like most standard models, came preloaded with Holobooks that he had never bothered to delete. He noted by the file heading on the screen that she had started to read _A Study in Crimson,_ an Old Republic detective novel about a Jedi called Holmes and his apprentice called Watson. Han was actually surprised that mention of the Jedi still managed to remain in popular literature after the Empire had tried so hard to extinguish all knowledge of them from the galaxy. Or maybe this was one beings small little way of rebelling against the New Order.

Han set the datapad back down again after scanning a few lines from the current page and moved off to the cockpit. Han checked the readouts and progress stats on the navicomputer before adjusting the life support to bring the heating and lighting back up to pleasant working condition levels. Han then paced back to the cabin to get dressed not before checking in on Leia again, the peace on her face making her look more beautiful than ever.

An hour later Chewbacca awoke to find the cabin empty. Stretching and gruffly yawning he padded out of the cramped cabin to find some industrial grade caf. Chewbacca preferred it sweet and milky as well as strong but as supplies of both sweetener and crème had dwindled during their time on Hoth he had ended up having the drink it bitter and black. Chewbacca found Han in the kitchenette brewing a pot of tea. Han had a surprising collection of teas he had picked up from different worlds, including, Chewbacca noted, a caddy of Leia's favourite blend which was what Han was brewing at the time.

Chewbacca rumbled a good morning and Han gave a short reply. Chewie then asked how things were going.

"We're making painfully slow progress but we've shaved what could have been an extra month at sublights. It's a good thing the Anoat, Hoth and Bespin systems are so close together. Probably part of the same original nebula." Chewbacca commented that that must have been why there were so many stray comets and dust clouds. Han gave a nod and pulled two chipped mugs from the cupboard.

"I'm going to see if Leia's awake." Chewie gave a nod before Han shuffled past his co-pilot and out of the kitchen, tea pot and mugs in hand.

* * *

Leia was in a warm open expanse of rolling countryside. Knee height swathes of grass in a thousand shades of verdant green swayed and rippled like the sea in the wind. The sky was sapphire blue and the clouds were perfect and white and...

"Leia..." Her name in a voice she recognised drew her out of her dreaming and she opened her eyes.

"Good morning Princess." Han said softly, he was sitting by her feet. Suddenly she was furious.

"What is it Han?" She snapped and Han drew back and Leia felt instantly terrible.

"Hay Princess..." He began,

"I'm sorry, I was just dreaming about home..." Leia cut him off and Han nodded, understanding.

"It's ok. Here, I brought you some tea, you won't have had the most comfortable night there." He said and Leia stiffly sat up and excepted the mug of tea.

"Thanks." Leia said.

"My pleasure." Han replied, "I need to check on the cooling ducts but I'll be back in a bit."

"Where's Chewie and Threepio?" Leia asked.

"Chewie's having breakfast and Threepio is on power saver mode." Han grinned.

"You switched him off?" Leia laughed.

"I got sick of his bleating about the morals of gambling earlier. He does make a rather good decorative addition to the cockpit in his current state though."

Leia smiled as Han left. She sat there for a while sipping her tea, musing on her dream of a landscape now only in her memory.

"Is this your card?" Han asked holding up the Queen of Air and Darkness to Leia's eyes with a grin.

"No." Leia smiled, shaking her head.

"What?" Han said snatching up the deck from the table and shuffling through it.

Han and Leia were sitting in the main hold while Chewbacca replaced a faulty air scrubber in the maintenance hatch. Han had reactivated Threepio on Leia's request and told to monitor readouts in the cockpit in case Chewbacca's repairs disrupted any of the other systems. Every so often Chewbacca would demand this tool or that tool and either Han or Leia would oblige. To keep themselves busy Han had been showing Leia card tricks.

"Is this your card?" Han said, presenting Leia with the Seven of Sabres, Leia stifled a chuckle and shook her head again.

"What?!" Han was incredulous and Leia burst into a fit of giggles.

"I'm sorry, you were right the first time." Leia said, and Han scowled at her, "_Now_ will you show me how it's done."

"Ok, what you do-" Han was cut off by an almighty jolt that threw the crew sideways. Leia grabbed hold of the table for support and Han went crashing to the floor with a thud. Chewbacca gave a cry of alarm as he clattered down further in the maintenance pit.

The entire ship was rocked again and Han bumbled towards the cockpit only to meet Threepio coming the opposite way,

"Captain Solo, Captain Solo!" The droid shrilled, "We appear to have come out of hyperspace!" Han swore and if Threepio could, he would have blushed knowing the exact translation of Han's curses.

"Leia!" Han yelled, "Get to the top gun well! Chewie, get your flea bitten backside down here!"

Han dove for the captain's chair and began to plot a vector away from the massive blip on the radar screen. Chewie appeared at Han's elbow and took his place in the co-pilots chair.

"I've seen this trick before, stick a ship towing an asteroid in the middle of a major Hyperspace lane and watch as a passing ship drops back into realspace because of the gravity well." Chewbacca growled a response.

"Yeah, let's get out of here!" Han confirmed his co-pilot's request.

Han recalibrated the scanners so get a better look at the ships closing in on them. Han could see that the pursuing ships, whoever they were, consisted of a Carrack light cruiser, a corvette and three Z-95 Headhunters. Han vectored away from their approach, diverting as much power as he dared to the Sublight engines.

"Chewie, take over." Han said, jumping up the check the navicomputer. Han heart sank to his feet as he saw, his worst fears come true, that the navicomputer had been fired as they were ripped out of Hyperspace. Han could smell the faint wiff of hotwiring from aft, chances were their botched Hyperdrive repairs were good and fried too.

"Han!" Leia's voice came over the intercom, "Tactical readouts say they're firing up weapons!" Han dashed down the corridor to the gun wells and climbed into the lower gun turret. Slapping on the headphones Han said,

"Chewie, take evasive action! Block transponder signals." Han said as the first salvo of bolts rained down on the Falcon's weakened rear deflector shields. Han and Leia returned fire towards the Headhunters at the front of the pack.

"Han, we can't outrun this!" Leia exclaimed.

"Yeah, and they would be out to blow us from the sky."

"Pirates?"

"Yeah." Han said before locking onto one of the Headhunters and firing. It dodged the fire but the wing was clipped sending the ship into a spin. It pulled itself out of the dive and dropped back to the rear of the pack.

"Chewie, open all communications channels." Han demanded and instantly his headphones were filled with com chatter.

"Unknown vessels, hold your fire, were are a passenger ship heading for Bespin. We are damaged and have no cargo, repeat, no cargo." Han decided that declaring who exactly they were might not be the best idea with a bounty on their heads. No response came, only a new barrage of laser fire.

"Han!" Leia cried as the bulk of the Carrack cruiser loomed behind them.

"Chewie, turn about, put all power into front deflectors." Chewie roared in protest.

"It's kill or be killed at this rate." Han said, releasing that even if the other ships heard his message they probably didn't believe that they were crippled.

Chewie flipped the _Falcon_ as he did a vertical climb and turn before sending the _Falcon _hurtling down between the other ships. As they passed down the side of the Carrack-class ship Han suddenly gave a whoop of joy. On the sides of the ship were marking and trophy paintings of victories in garish colours. Two such symbols caught his eye, the ship's name and a battle date.

"Chewie! Broadcast our transponder signal, no our _real_ codes." Han said to the protesting Wookiee.

"What are you doing?!" Leia's voice exclaimed in his ears.

"_Renthal's Vigilance, Renthal's Vigilance, _this is Han Solo, pilot of the _Millennium Falcon_. Stop shooting for five minutes and I'll tell you how your old boyfriend lost his ship to me!" Han declared into his headset.

Suddenly the radio crackled into the life and the voice of an older sounding woman with a strong alto voice said,

"Han Solo! It's been too long."

"It has Captain Renthal." Han said with a marked note of respect in his voice that Leia immediately picked up on. Leia saw the Headhunters circle out of their attack run as the two cruisers also halted their manoeuvre trying to following the vastly more agile _Falcon._

"Pull up alongside the _Vigilance_ and come aboard Solo, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about. _Vigilance _out" Renthal said.

"Thank goodness that is all over! I thought we were doomed!" Threepio's voice exclaimed over the comm.

"Can we trust her?" Leia asked as the pair climbed out of the gun wells.

"I've known Captain Renthal for a long time, she's more moral than most pirates."

"Can she help us?" Leia said, hoping for a break after all these days.

"Maybe." Han said, "Come on."

Han helped Chewbacca manoeuvre the _Falcon_ next to the docking ring of the _Vigilance._ Leia stood by the docking hatch, face a picture of diplomatic serenity as she checked her hair with one hand, current in a tight single braid down her back, and smoothed her grey coveralls, one of the spares she'd kept in the _Falcon_, with the other. It was basically hopeless, she looked more flight mechanic than Princess although that might actually be a good thing for now.

"Mistress Leia, would you prefer if I stayed aboard the _Falcon_?" Threepio said, more than a little hopefully.

"If you would rather, Threepio." Leia preened sweetly. Threepio didn't need telling twice and scuttled off to the other end of the ship before he could be told otherwise. Chewbacca appeared by her side, Bowcaster in hand and noticed Han coming down the corridor in a clean shirt under his navy coloured fight jacket, also donning weaponry.

"We want to make a good impression, don't we?" Han said with a grin at Leia's disapproving look.

"I hardly think-"

"Look sweetheart, I might know Renthal but her affiliation is to the highest bidder so watch your back."

"You think it's a trap?" Leia asked worriedly.

"No," Han drawled, straightening his collar, "I think it's a coincidence we've run in to her."

"Ok." Leia said, doubtfully and Han took her hand.

"C'mon kid, trust me." Han leaned in a placed a single kiss against her temple. Her skin was smooth beneath his lips.

"I trust you." Leia said as they heard the pressure on the other side of the docking ring hatch equalise.

Han pressed the door release and together the _Falcon_'s crew headed down the docking tube.

* * *

_Well, I'm going to cut it off here otherwise this chapter is going to end up over three and a half thousand words long! I hope you enjoyed that, please leave a comment and critique on the review page, both are equally welcome._

_This chapter is dedicated to A.H.S.G. for getting my out of the rut I was in. _


	9. Demise

_So it's been a while... hi! Academic work of the third order and beginning a new year at University has left me somewhat brain-addled so this won't be my best writing by any means. It should, however, get me back into writing just enough to finish this fic! _

_So let's get right to it, usual blurb applies, I don't own the rights to _Star Wars_ but I did very recently buy _Fate of the Jedi: Conviction _in paperback (it's pretty good so far, ta for asking!) _

Demise

The first thing that struck Leia like a physical hammer blow was the noise. There were dozens of people in the corridors, flitting between rooms and storage bays, idly chatting to each other. The walls seemed to hum with power, the floor quiver from the intensity of life. She hadn't realised just how quite the _Falcon_ had been with only the four of them. In this ship though, while being jostled by passing shipmen, trying to keep up with their guide to the Bridge, she could almost _feel_ the life around her. The heat, the buzz, it prickled over her skin. Reaching behind her she found Han's hand and grasped it for support. He didn't pull away.

Han came in step with her,

"Relax Princess, we're doing fine." Han's voice tickled her ear but she turned and scowled at him.

"Keep your voice down. There's a price on my head as much as yours, the difference is, I don't know these people and you do." Leia hissed.

"Ok, ok." Han said raising his hands. Chewbacca growled something and Han turned and gave a wink. Leia looked at him questioning.

"Chewie's got our back, don't worry." even as Han said it his hand wandered to his gun hoister.

The trio were lead up to the bridge and into another hive of activity. While Leia had noticed the noise, Han had noticed the decor. The interiors and dress sense of the ship's crew were equally appalling. Male and female, alien and human alike were all dressed in miss-matched service uniforms spliced with outdated hats and tunics and boots. Some looked deliberately dressed to match the image of pirates from historic holo-vids while others looked like they'd rolled out of bed and into the first, perhaps only, items of clothes they owned. The walls were tattooed with graffiti, anti-war slogans, kill counts and declarations of all the liberties enjoyed by no taxation and high levels of money. Right at the very centre of all of this was Captain Drea Renthal, dressed more eccentrically than all her crew combined.

She cut an imposing figure at the heart of her crew. Taller than most of the other women on the Bridge and certainly twice as broad she had lost nothing of her strong facial features to age. Her eyes glittered with a fierce intensity, her mouth set in a crooked smile of satisfaction at the sight of her guests. She plucked an alarmingly yellow trilby from her head, revealing her metallic two-tone spiking hair and gave a curt bow towards Leia. Leia looked away nervously.

Han stepped up to greet Renthal with a solid handshake.

"Captain." They both acknowledged simply to each other.

"We should talk my privately." Captain Renthal declared and lead the trio into a side room. Back in the day when the _Vigilance _had been an Imperial ship the room would have been the office of the Commanding officer with all the militaristic barring that came with such status. In the hands of Drea Renthal the walls were adored with valuable pieces of classic art (no doubt originals and hot property) with the remainder of the room was furnished in royal purples and burgundy reds.

"Please take a seat." Captain Renthal said gesturing to the visitor's chairs on the opposite side of her desk. Leia took the seat while Han stood behind her chair, Chewbacca hovering near the doorway. Drea smiled and walked across the sideboard.

"Drink? I have some of the Galaxy's finest Whiskeys."

"This isn't really a social call Captain Renthal." Leia said and Drea laughed.

"I think what Leia is saying is she won't, but I will." Han said. Drea poured out two glasses and handed one to Han as she sat. She leaned back in her chair, swilling her drink in the spherical bowl of the whiskey glass. Finally she sat up and downed half her drink.

"Let's not stand on ceremony Captain Solo, Princess Leia," She eyed Chewbacca and gave him a nod of acknowledgement also, "I know who you are but what I don't know is why you're here and how you came by the _Millennium Falcon_."

Leia was the first to speak, "Our ship is damaged, we made enough repairs to make one straight jump to Bespin,"

"Cut short by your timely arrival Captain." Han cut in pulling no punches. Leia realised that what Han knew about diplomacy could fill a shot glass without taking the whiskey out of it first.

"Ah." Drea said but Han pressed on,

"Look I don't know what you're doing out here but I can guess. Pretty dangerous intercepting cargo from a facility being run by your old boyfriend."

"That was a long time ago, Captain Solo."

"Recent enough that you spared his life over it." Han pointed out.

"His and a lady friend of yours I believe." Drea said. Leia looked up at Han when he didn't respond.

"Bria's dead." Han said eventually.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, she made her choice, it was... it was a good one." Han's voice was soft and calm and an iron grip tightened around Leia's heart at his words. The words even surprised Han as he suddenly checked himself and coughed, "Anyway, Lando won't be pleased to discover you're the reason he's got supply problems."

"He won't and you shalln't tell him." Drea said simply before drinking the rest of her whiskey.

"Oh really?" Leia said, sceptically.

Drea leaned forward placing her hands on the desk.

"Let's put our cards on the table. You need transport to Bespin, I need to stay out of the way. You need to avoid Imperials, I need a guarantee that if I run into Imps I've got a bargaining chip. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"You wouldn't!" Leia exclaimed.

"Without a moment's hesitation my dear. That being said I can give you a lift since we're moving closer to the system."

"We'll pay-" Leia began but Drea waved a hand,

"No need, but a word of advice, which is free don't worry, don't stay long in Bespin."

"Why?"

"We hear all sorts of things out here. The space lanes in these parts are a hive of bought information and unsavoury activities." Drea leaned back in her chair. "You know of a man they called Darth Vader?"

Leia's blood ran cold. Vader was coming for them, it was only a matter of time.

"How soon can you get the _Falcon _tethered to be towed?" Han asked, pragmatically.

"Twelve hours, but please stay here as my guest for the evening and then you can recount the tale of how Lando lost his ship to you." Drea rose and offered her hand to both Leia and Han.

"You're very kind." Leia said.

"No, I'm just keeping my eyes on two of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy."

Captain Renthal's aide lead Han and Leia to their quarters for the night. He told then the door code and when Captain Renthal would be having dinner before disappearing. Chewbacca had insisted on staying in the _Falcon_ despite the fact that the docking tubes were going to be removed to aid the process of tethering the ships to one another for towing. Han didn't like having their greatest amount of fire power on a different ship but had agreed after his co-pilot's insistence that _he'd _not want Drea's crew aboard the _Falcon_.

Han keyed the door code and the pair stepped in. It was a single room with a three-quarter size bed, one chair and off through a door in one corner a very cramped fresher. It had probably been a Lieutenant's quarters in its previous life but now it was the _Vigilance_'s apparently only guest room.

"Ah." Han said, then laughed.

"What's so funny." Leia shot him a look that could have melted durasteel.

"Oh come on now Princess!" Han said sitting down on the end of the bed and began to pull his boots off.

"She thinks we're involved!" Leia exclaimed a little louder than she'd hoped.

"Well, yeah." Han admitted.

"What do you mean, 'well, yeah'?" Leia said.

"Princess, can't you just enjoy the moment?" Han said.

"I will when you stop calling me 'Princess'." Leia muttered.

"What was that?" Han put his hand to his ear.

"What was what?" Leia demanded.

"Was that the sound of Leia Organa sulking?" Han laughed and Leia resisted the urge to hit him.

"I'll have you know that Alderaanian Princess' do not sulk." Leia said tossing her head back. Leia caught the look in Han's eye and suddenly the pair began to laugh.

"Ok, ok your highness!" Han said pulling Leia down next to him on the bed.

"Shut up nerf herder." Leia whispered before Han kissed her fiercely and passionately.

The meal with Drea was long but uneventful. Han and Leia returned to their room tired and worse for several glasses of excellent Corporate Sector wine of a pre-Imperial vintage. The pair stood by the doorway looking at the bed.

"I suppose the right thing to do is to let you have the bed." Han said, pulling off his jacket.

"Well that's very-"

"It doesn't mean I'm going to." He said, jumping back on the bed, boots hanging over the end.

"What?!" Leia said.

"Come here." Han said. Leia looked at him in alarm.

"Nothing like that, just, come here." Tentatively Leia moved over to the bed and lay down next to Han. A thrill went through her as he put his arm around her.

"Han-"

"Shh..." Han said putting a finger to her lips.

Together they lay on the bed for several minutes before Han leaned over and turned the lights off.

"Han, I'm going to miss you." Leia's voice was thick through the darkness.

"I'll come back." Han said. Leia rolled onto her side, facing him. Han rolled inwards in turn so their noises all but touched.

"You've got to." Leia said, "We need you."

"We?"

This time Leia pre-empted the second question.

"_I _need you too." Even now Leia couldn't be selfish, couldn't only think of her desire for Han to stay.

"I know." Han whispered.

"Han..."

"Yeah?"

"I... want you to _promise_ you'll come back."

"I can't promise anything sweetheart, but I promise I'll try." Han pulled Leia close to him and together they fell asleep on top of their bed.

* * *

"Han? Leia?"

"Luke!" Leia woke with a start, her friend's name dying on her lips as she jolted upright. Han stirred next to her but didn't wake. The edges of her dreams still remained in the darkness, a citadel with a moat of clouds fading within her mind. Luke's voice had sounded so close but at the same time distant, ethereal. Leia imagined it like a ripple on a pond, yet, it had only been a dream.

* * *

_Well that's it for Chapter 9. Sorry it was a short one but I think it's the only way I can get back into writing is in short bursts as I've a lot of academic work to be getting on with at the moment. _

_For those who haven't come across Captain Drea Renthal before she is a minor character from the _Han Solo_ Trilogy and particularly stuck in my mind. A self-styled pirate business woman with a unique sense of style and loyalty to whoever's paying she's an interesting one to write in. I had actually planned for this to be how Han and Leia finally get to Bespin from the very start. Next chapter will be up much sooner than the last massive hiatus! _


	10. Moderation

_Alas, things don't always go as planned and after I was snowed under with an obscene amount of work moving house just before Christmas has now left me scraping internet where I can get it, hence the even greater delay on uploading. Sorry about that!_

_Anyway, we're on the home straight now with things with this and the next chapter being proper ones with the final chapter as a sort of epilogue. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. _

_So on with the show. I don't own the rights to _Star Wars_ although I've current powered through _'Dark Force Rises' _and am now onto _'Last Command'_. _

Moderation

Han woke in the morning to find Leia up and dressed. As always seemed customary for her, it looked as though Leia had graciously accepted a change of clothes from one of Drea's shipmates. The outfit was not becoming. She had been lent a pale green tunic shirt with a nerf hide vest in a surprising shade of mahogany, bright blue canvas trousers and a red trilby hat. Worn with Leia's own white show boots she looked the part, but the part probably belonged in the West End of the Musical Hall district on Nah Shaddaa. Leia was platting her hair with her back to Han and he watched her for a good while until she caught him staring in the mirror on the sideboard.

"What?" Leia demanded, blushing a little.

"You. You take so long over your hair." Han said with a smile.

"I once cut it all off when I was a child." Leia said absently as she tied off the long single braid she has plaited.

"Leia Organa, rebel through and through." Han chuckled.

"No, I just couldn't _stand _it being brushed over and over. My aunts would insist on taking hours teaching me to plait it."

"All the things a princess should know." Han said as he crawled off the bed.

"One day I convinced Winter to help me steal a knife from the palace kitchens. We came back with a vibroblade for carving meat. It took one go to cut it all off." She made a sweeping motion, miming the path of the blade as it would have cut her hair.

Han had the image suddenly in his mind of two young girls, a little blonde elfin creature paired with the petite, rough and tumble form of the young Leia, sneaking through the white stone passageways of the Alderaanian Summer Palace. Cool blue light flooding in through small windows along the servant quarters corridors as they made their way past house droids and human staff to the wide expansive kitchens where _real chiefs_ would be preparing food. Han smiled at the thought of this carefree Leia before he realised, anew, just how much such a young woman as she had lost in such a short space of time.

"Hay, are you ok?" Leia said, catching the suddenly vacant look on Han's face.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about you." He said, taking her hand in his.

"What about?" Leia said, looking up into his eyes.

"Just you as a little girl."

"It wasn't all that long ago really." Leia said with a sigh.

"I know." Han said, "I think you're the only person in the galaxy that deserves an ivory tower." Han said stroking Leia's hair with his free hand. This time she was able to respond to the comment. Last time she'd resisted when they'd been taking about Alderaan for fear of looking bitter but now...

"And what's _that_ supposed the mean?" Leia suddenly snapped, a little for forceful than she'd planned.

"It means," Han sighed, "You need some good in your life, away from all of this."

"What are you saying? I should leave it all behind?" Leia asked.

"Look princess, I couldn't ever make you stay away forever, but," Han paused, weighing the sudden thought before he spoke, "Come with me. You're good in a fight, we could use you." déjà vu washed over Han as he realised he'd spoken those words once before, except it has been Luke he'd made the offer to, not Leia.

"That's not being away from anything, that's watching the man I-" Leia stopped short.

"Go on..." Han whispered.

Leia pressed herself against him in an embrace "watching you get killed is running towards more pain. I'm sorry Han, I just couldn't do it. I'm so sorry."

_Stang_, Han cursed in his head as he held her, _it was worth a try._

"I need to speak to the Captain, I'll see you later." Leia said as she unwrapped herself from his embrace. Han was surprised when she turned and planted a tentative kiss on Han's cheek before hastily leaving the room.

Han sat back on the bed staring at the door for a good long moment. He thought back to his own childhood and any significant moments that lay there. Sure, there were many of them but none were particularly fond moments that he could tell with pride or in jest. Well, except one. During a brief time where he'd been permitted to attend school he'd met a Corellian senator. He'd been interesting and tenacious, the sort of man Han was sure Bail Organa had been too. The senator had even spoken to him when Han had asked some questions in class. Yes, that was a good memory, and maybe one he'd share with Leia someday.

"Princess Organa," Captain Renthal said looking up from her desk as Leia entered the Captain's office, "How can I be of assistance." Drea couldn't have picked her words better for what Leia was about to ask.

"A lot actually. I've spoken to several members of your crew, you're fleet is impressive and well trained."

"You flatter me Princess, to what end?" Drea asked carefully.

"Join the rebellion, we need good fighters, free thinkers and ships." Leia had put her plea in that order, hopefully appealing to hearts instead of minds.

"I'm sorry Princess, I just cannot do that. These raids on Bespin are our last hurrah in Imperial Space. We're going to try out luck out in the mists of Hapes or maybe the Corporate Sector. You of all people must understand the reasons why people do things. We are _not_ idealists, not warriors fighting for a cause, we make money the only way we know how and that is how we will continue. Or to put it another way, you cannot afford our services." Silence fell over the room, a thick and bitter one.

Finally Leia deliberately squared her shoulders and said, "I understand."

"You are young but wise Princess, I recommend you do not squander those things."

"Thank you Captain Renthal." Leia gave a nod in lieu of a bow and turned to leave.

"Also," Drea said and Leia stopped, "Han Solo is a honourable man who has suffered much."

"I know." Leia said in a low voice, suddenly she moved from the door and sat in the chair opposite Drea.

"Tell me how you know him." Leia asked.

"Surely that's a question for Captain Solo." Drea said softly.

"I know, but, he's something of a mystery, what you see is what you get, certainly, but his past, that's a different matter."

"Lando Calrissian and I dated for a time, that's how I met Captain Solo. Did you ever hear about the Imperial attack on Nah Shaddaa?"

"Of course, it was one of the great triumphs of journalism that it was even reported when the battle was such a devastating loss for the imperial fleet in the Hutt sector."

"Quite so. I offered my ships' assistance in exchange for salvaging rights, this ship was once part of the Imperial task force that was sent to wipe Nah Shaddaa out of the sky." Leia looked about, she had wondered how Captain Renthal had come into possession of the ship.

"Han Solo was one of the smuggler's on that Moon who planned the attack. The whole thing was quite ingenious but I should really let Captain Solo have the pleasure of telling you the tale himself, after all, the stroke of tactical genius was his."

_Tactical? Genius?_ A flood of unexpected renewed respect washed over Leia as she sat listening to Drea's short recount. All she could manage was a short word of thanks that Drea had shared her tale before leaving.

Han found Leia much later sitting on a small observation deck that overlooked the rear of the ship and the towing rig attached to the _Falcon_.

"There you are, I was worried." Han breathed sitting down against the wall next to Leia. The space was purely functional, just big enough for an observer and comms technician to stand. The window however was floor-to-ceiling and offered a starting view of inter stellar space. Off in the distance were the dust clouds they had navigated a several days ago.

"I'm fine, just needed somewhere quiet to think." Leia said.

"Oh, I see." Han murmured, "Can I stay?" he asked.

"Sure." Leia paused, "Is Chewbacca alright." Leia asked drawing the nerf hide vest around herself a little more.

"Yeah, he's working on repairs. I think the noise and smell over here would drive him mad." Leia knew that Wookiees had very acute senses for hunting and the buzz and potent smell of rarely washed space pirates would be pretty pungent for Chewbacca.

"How much longer until we leave?" Leia asked.

"We're waiting on Drea, she says there's one more shipment to come through that they want to surprise then we'll be on our way." Han said causally.

"Doesn't it bother you, Han, that they're stealing?" Leia asked.

"Well, yeah." Han paused, "Look Princess isn't this what the rebellion does all the time, steal from Imperials, surely it's the same?" Leia blushed, _he's right...  
_"Well, yes, but it's different. We're not stealing from private businesses but, we're at war, aren't we?" Leia stammered.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry I said anything, it just stings a little to still be treated like a crook." Leia felt herself colour again.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. But an old space-dog can learn new tricks." Han said wrapping an arm around Leia.

"I'm counting on it." Leia said.

* * *

"Sir, three imperial Star Destroyers have entered the system, two victory and one super class." Lando Calrissian leapt up from his desk and ran for the door. In the next room his private secretary had barely had time to turn off the intercom before he reached her desk.

"Are you serious?" Lando demanded looking her square in the eye.

"No doubt sir, Lobot and your head of security are on their way here." She replied. Lando straightened up and pinched the bridge of his nose, _get with it Calrissian, now is not the time for melodramatics. _

"Have any transmissions from the imperials patched straight to my office and tell me immediately if our sensors pick up any landing craft approaching the city." Lando said decisively.

"Yessir." She stammered before hailing the ATC for an updated status.

Lando returned to his desk and idly stroked his chin. _Imperials_, he thought_, what do they want?_ A number of things, he could be sure and probably none of them good. Lando returned to the work he had abandoned trying to put the message out of his mind.

"Sir! They're hailing us, wanting to speak to the administrator of the facility." Lando's secretary's voice can over the intercom suddenly. _Already?!_

"Ok, patch it through."

"They're hailing on the holonet, is that ok sir?"

"Yes, fine." Lando felt a pang of sympathy for his PA, she'd only been in the job a week. Lando circled his desk and stood before the full-size holoprojector. _Here goes_.

The holoprojector flickered into life to reveal the gaunt figure of an imperial Star Destroyer Captain. Lando reserved the right not to bow.

"Am I speaking with the administrator of Cloud City?" The Captain asked.

"You are, my name is Lando Calrissian, welcome to the Bespin System Captain-?" Lando left the name hanging but received no reply.

"My Lord Darth Vader has requested a meeting with you to discuss the terms of your city's surrender and terms of occupation."

"Surrender?"

"My Lord Vader also wishes to inform you that he has seventeen ion cannons trained on your city, and that he is aware that loss of propulsion to even half of the engines keeping your city in the sky will result in the death of the entire population as you crash into the super dense sub-zero liquid layers in your planet's core below." There was a pause. A long one.

"If Lord Vader wishes to land I'm sure I can happily accommodate him and listen to the terms he will propose." Lando said with some effort, his blood running cold. This was the end it seemed.

"He is already on his way."

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed that chapter and was at least partially worth the wait. Next chapter will be up sooner, I absolutely promise because I have no excuse. If it's not up by the end of January I will do a fan fiction challenge in penance and you can suggest what that will be._

_Comment and critique, as always, happily received._


End file.
